An unexpected turn has occurred in the ongoing investigation into Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard and Aspiration, a green banking company that recently declared bankruptcy.
An investigation initially revealed a paper trail connecting the Clippers’ owner, Steve Ballmer, to Leonard via questionable payments to Aspiration. There were also several other connections between Ballmer and Aspiration, with the Clippers almost giving Aspiration the naming rights for their arena.
Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers Encourage a League Investigation Into Aspiration
That $300 million deal never materialized. However, it has now been revealed that the Clippers followed procedure and even got the green light from the league. The NBA approved the $300 million sponsorship deal between the Clippers and Aspiration in 2021, just months before Aspiration’s sponsorship deal with Leonard, which is currently under investigation.
When the basketball community heard that Ballmer attempted to circumvent the strict cap space rules by funneling money through Aspiration to his franchise cornerstone, the majority of NBA fans instantly presumed his guilt, along with Leonard’s.
However, Leonard and Ballmer have maintained their innocence, repeatedly emphasizing that no wrongdoing has occurred. The primary reason the league had to vet and approve Aspiration was the patch sponsorship agreement, which necessitated a detailed investigation.
At the time, the NBA found nothing noteworthy to stop the process. However, Aspiration soon declared bankruptcy, with its CEO, Joe Sanberg, pleading guilty to wire fraud. The company had cheated investors out of $170 million. Ballmer claims to be one such duped investor who has reportedly poured $50 million into Aspiration over the years.
“These were guys who committed fraud…Look, they conned me. They conned me. I made an investment in these guys thinking it was on the up-and-up, and they conned me at this stage.”
Leonard also feels similarly and encouraged the league to investigate. The Clippers star was confident in his innocence and emphasized that the investigation would not hamper his team’s performance this upcoming season.
This drama and potential controversy have kept the Clippers in the limelight for most of this offseason. As a result, the team’s acquisition of experienced and accomplished NBA veterans such as Bradley Beal, Chris Paul, and Brook Lopez has been largely overlooked.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has pointed out that the burden of proof will be on the league and that Ballmer and Leonard will be innocent until proven otherwise. All of these recent events have fans rethinking their initial presumptions on this subject.
In any case, the 2025-2026 NBA regular season starts in less than a week. Leonard and the Clippers will have a chance to put this controversy behind them as they begin their journey to a potential championship. Clippers fans hope that no negative updates from this investigation surface at the wrong time and hinder their season.